DAY TRIP GUIDE 8 Things To Do With Your Kids During the Summer of 2008 BY susan scully petroni susan scully petroni The 2008 New England Sand Sculpting Festival is July 14-19 at Revere Beach. Last year's festival, pictured, had a Pirates Of The Caribbean flair. Summer - the thought conjures up sunny days, relaxing on a beach, splashing in a lake, BBQs, and making S'mores. Summer also means kids are not in school and have an extra 6 hours a day to learn, explore, and of course spend time with mom and dad. Studies have shown that children remember special times spent with their parents as much as they remember an once-in-a-lifetime vacation trip. As a child, I remember BBQs in the backyard, catching fireflies in jars, and playing ball until the street lights came on. I remember picnics in the park with my mom and sisters and hiking in Pine Banks Park. Parents, you don't have to spend a lot of money daily to entertain or spend time with their children. Once a week, perhaps, plans for a special excursion to say Canobie Lake Park in Salem, N.H., or a museum in Boston or Worcester. The rest of the week find simple ways to connect with your child. susan scully petroni Sail around Boston Harbor with other princeses on July 12. For tickets, visit www.spiritofboston.com. Here are my recommendations for 8 things every parent should do with their child during the summer of 2008. 1. Connect With Nature. Start by visiting the local library. Let your child borrow a few books - backyard birds, nature guides, or astronomy 101. Many Massachusetts organizations offer free (and inexpensive) kid-friendly nature-based programs. Check out the Mass Audubon Society (http://www.massaudubon.org/), the New England Wildflower Society and Garden in the Woods (http://www.newfs.org/), and the Trustees of the Reservation (http://www.thetrustees.org/). The Trustees care for 99 locations and more than 25, 000 acres in the Bay State. This month, read about 21 of their properties perfect for family day tripping. The exclusive article is available at www.baystateparent.com 2. Create Sculpture With Your Child. Kids love art. They love to create something with their own hands. They also love knowing mom and dad can struggle with something as simple as combining sand and water. I remember building sandcastles at Revere and Manomet beaches growing up. Building sand castles requires imagination and teamwork. Want tips and even more reasons why building sand castles is beneficial, visit http://www.teachkidshow.com/teach-your-child-how-to-build-sandcastles/. Looking for some inspiration? Consider attending the 2008 New England Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach July 14-19. Or enter your family in the Crane Beach Sand Blast in August. This year's theme is Super Heroes Go Green! susan scully petroni Experience life as a "World Champion" by taking a Duck Boat Tour this summer. 3. Become A Tourist In Your Hometown! Every town has a history. Spend the day exploring and recording (journaling & photographing) the historical, iconic, and cultural highlights of your community. For example, Everett is the home of the only bicameral legislature in the United States. Sterling is the setting of Sarah Josepha Hale's famous poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb. Mary Sawyer, the subject of the historically true poem, lived in Sterling. Gardner is home to the world's largest chair. There were 2 stops on the Underground Railroad in Brookline and that community's The Country Club has hosted the US Open Golf Tournament three times. Henry Wilson, born in 1812 and 18th Vice President of the United States, lived most of his life in Natick as a shoemaker and schoolteacher, and is buried there. There is something to discover in every town, even if it is where the best ice cream cone is served. Be a detective with your child and undercover your community's jewels. new england aquarium The New England Aquarium's exhibit Sharks & Rays opens July 1. 4. Enter the World of Make Believe - Children love to pretend to be someone else. And pretend play helps kids plan, act out thoughts & feelings, and use social skills. Consider having an American Idol night. Each family member can pretend to be their favorite singer. Or organize a family talent night. Create a fantasy world with your child. Explore the Higgins Armory in Worcester and learn about the real world of knights and princesses. Then, come home and let your child dress up like one. This summer, the Spirit of Boston is holding a special princess & pirate cruise on July 12 (http://www.spiritofboston.com/bo/special_cruises.jsp). Older children might appreciate the "make believe" world of Shakespearean theatre. Free performances of As You Like It will be staged at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common July 18 through August 3. 5. Get Up Close With Sea Creatures. Make plans to go on a whale watch. (My favorite is the one offered by the New England Aquarium. (We saw a whale breach last August.) If your child yearns to be an oceanographer, make plans to visit Woods Hole. Book a 90-minute Hands- On Discovery Cruise. Time during the cruise is divided among three stations. In the stern of the vessel passengers are concentrating on the biological aspects of oceanography. Pull lobster traps, drag a plankton net; use a Discovery Scope to see microorganisms collected. Reach into the live tank handle and learn the natural history sea life you captured. In the bow passengers are operating the instrumentation and equipment useful to study physical and meteorological oceanography. In the cabin the group explores basic chemistry of seawater. OR visit the new Sharks & Rays exhibit at the New England Aquarium (www.neaq.org). It features a "touch tank." OR head to a local beach an uncover hermit crabs, starfish, baby jellyfish and other tidal pool inhabitants. Visit a pond and look for turtles, salamanders, frogs, fish, dragonflies and other insects, etc. Afterwards, create a nature scrapbook of your scientific discoveries with your child. 6. Walk a Day Into History. Massachusetts is filled with many historical sites. There is Plymouth and the Pilgrims. Quincy and its presidential connection. Then, there is Lexington & Concord and the American Revolution. Don't forget Salem and its witch hunt. But, this summer the best place to walk in the steps of history is Boston and The Freedom Trail, which is celebrating its Golden Anniversary in 2008. The Freedom Trail is made up of 16 distinct, original historic sites related to the establishment of America. It is a repository of some of the country's most valuable historic and cultural artifacts. The Freedom Trail was designated as a Millennium Trail in 2000 by First Lady Hilary Clinton. It attracts more than three million tourists, residents of Massachusetts and school children each year. As part of its anniversary, the Freedom Trail Foundation is hosting 50 special events in 2008. For details on those event and the trail itself visit www.thefreedomtrail.org 7. Cook With Your Child - Cooking is deceptive fun. It teaches math and science and there is a prize at the end of the activity. Even if you are a cuisine-challenged cook, any parent can create S'mores with their child. If you have some basics culinary knowledge, consider making a pasta salad for a BBQ or summer-themed cupcakes. More advanced bakers could try a strawberry tart or a peach pie after a pick-your-own family outing. (For more information on pick your own fruits in season and Bay State farms, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/mass.htm) Looking for kid-friendly recipes? Try www.allrecipes.com, http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/, and http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/list_kids.html 8. Experience The Ride of A Champion. Your children don't know how blessed they are to live in a time when the Patriots, the Red Sox, and the Celtics have all been crowded Champions. Each World Champion team has experienced a "rolling rally" in a Boston Duck Boat. Book a Duck Boat trip this summer for your family. During the 80-minute ride through the streets of Boston and into the Charles River, families can see the Trinity Church, the Public Gardens, Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution and more. For additional information & tickets, visit www.bostonducktours.com